Gardening Hints and Tips
Finding customers
- Thomson Local can be effective. If you can afford it, try
separate ads for any specialisation eg. Garden Maintenance, Tree
Surgery, Hedge Cutting.
- Parish magazines are local, have a long shelf-life and are
usually inexpensive. Local churches, village pubs and corner
stores might have copies for advertising contact numbers.
- Expect more calls about maintenance contracts early in the
year.
- Card and leaflet drops don’t always work well. Referrals are
usually the most fruitful source.
- When you spot another gardening team, find the boss, give
him/her your card and offer your services should they get
short-staffed. Make sure your card includes reference phone numbers
on the back.
- Put word about with friends and family that you’re always keen
to find work.
- Accept any sort of work to begin with. You can specialise later
if you build up a client base who can keep you busy.
Keeping customers
- Always ask customers if they’re happy with your work.
- Call customers a few days after each job to check they’re
still happy with your work, and if they’ve spotted anything else
that needs doing once they’ve lived with it for a day or two.
- If you pass work on to someone else, call the customer to check
that they did a good job. This will not only keep your customer
happy and remind them you’re the supplier, it will also enable you
to check your sub-contractor is worth using again. But be prepared
to repair anything they found unsatisfactory at your own expense
and time.
- Do small jobs like weeding or repairing something without being
asked, but make sure the customer knows what you’ve done.
- If you do a good job, your customer will tell 5 others about
you. Do a bad one and they’ll tell 10.
- If you accept maintenance contracts, you may struggle
subsequently to fit in more profitable hedge, tree or construction
work, especially when weather dependent. Be prepared to reduce
maintenance commitments when more profitable work starts appearing
rather than trying to fit both in.
- Be careful not to over-commit to long-term contracts without
the back up of sufficient trustworthy casual labour to fill in when
you are indisposed or called away to another job.
- Inform your customer as soon as possible if you think a
deadline will be missed. You may be able to negotiate for more
money if you have been delayed through no fault of your own.
Things you must do
- Try to get the customer to buy materials direct, even if you
have to order it for them. They’ll appreciate not having to pay
extra, and you won’t have to worry about being out of pocket.
- Always agree in writing what you’re going to do and how much it
costs.
- Any extra work not included in the original quote must also be
agreed in writing before you do the work. Don’t assume it will ‘get
sorted out later’.
- Buy the best insurance you can afford. This trade has one of
the worst risks for theft and personal injury. Try www.builders-insurance.com/gardeners.html
or a local trade insurance broker.
- It is vital you maintain your equipment regularly for both
safety and to save money in the long run. If your equipment fails
on a job, it will not only cost you more to fix urgently than it
would have done to service, but you’ve lost business and possibly
damaged your reputation. You may also have to hire replacement
equipment while yours is being repaired. Best to learn how to do
your own maintenance, either by watching an expert, or by trial and
error. There may be chainsaw maintenance courses available
locally.
- Get into a routine to maintain your kit. Perhaps allocate one
evening a week. Plan major services in Winter. Don't wait until
Spring.
Things you must not do
- Don’t be tempted to buy cheap equipment from discount stores.
It will probably break and under-perform.
Things to be cautious about
- Theft of equipment and materials is common. Try to always keep
it in sight. Don’t leave it locked up in a van if you can help
it.
- Use your own or hire a lock-up if you can afford it. Sheds and
vehicles are not secure.
- Solder or carve your initials onto all your equipment.
- Write down serial numbers of all equipment. Some insurance
companies may request it and the police will ask for it.
- If you keep work equipment at home, make sure your household
insurance covers it.
- If you must leave it in a van, park with doors up against
trees, thick hedges or walls, although be aware this might
advertise you’re protecting something.
Other tips
- Form a relationship with other gardeners you trust. In time you
will get jobs from them, and they will help you out when you need
it. You may even be able to borrow equipment from them in times of
desperation, but make sure you hand it back clean and
serviced.
- Never leave finding help to the last minute, but always check
at least two days before a job that the people you were counting on
are still available.
- Train up apprentices when you get into a position of regularly
needing assistance on jobs. Eventually they might set up on their
own, which may mean more work for you in return as they take on
more commitments.
- Always take good quality ‘before’ and ‘after’ shots with a
decent camera (not your phone). Make sure the sun is always behind
you when you take them. Use the pictures on your website, on
leaflets and in portfolios you show to prospective clients. It
proves you not only do good work, but that you’re proud of it. It
can also stimulate ideas for more work than the client originally
requested.
- First impressions are important. Always hand over a business
card when you first meet, and then listen carefully to what you are
being asked to do. Only after you’re sure you understand the brief,
make alternative suggestions or offer advice if you believe the
customer might benefit from your services in other ways.
- If you decide to offer landscaping and garden design, consider
joining the Royal Horticultural Society. It costs around £50 per
year. www.rhs.org.uk/ecommerce/newmemberships.aspx.
Not only do you get access to unlimited specialist advice and a
monthly magazine for tips and design ideas, but you might impress
prospective clients by stating ‘RHS Member’ on your literature. It
may also help you to sound more knowledgeable.
- It's more impressive if you can name trees and plants, and in
particular know how and when to prune. You might consider
attending evening classes which are usually inexpensive or even
free. Lists and application forms can be obtained from local
council offices or possibly the web.
- Have a board made up with your business name, logo (if you have
one) and contact number (ideally using laser cut signage rather
than sign-painting) which can be placed outside the client's
property (with their permission). Make a cover to protect it from
damage.
The one thing you must do....
- Be versatile and prepared to do anything. Always do
everything to the very best of your capability and admit if you’re
being asked to do something beyond your skill levels. Small jobs
can often lead to larger ones, especially if you make suggestions
to the client after you’ve completed the task they’ve set.
Useful services
www.hss.com - National plant and
equipment hire. Includes useful ‘how to’ pages
www.ukgardening.co.uk -
General advice
www.bbc.co.uk/gardening -
Ideas and advice
www.rhs.org.uk - The authority on
plants